Syndicated talkshows do well on DVR

"Dr. Phil," "Ellen" see the biggest ratings bumps

Day-in, day-out syndicated shows are typically considered DVR-proof. Viewers tend to watch their favorite talk-, court-, magazine or gameshows in pattern, a benefit syndication ad-sales people are never loathe to point out. Still, some syndies boast sizable DVR improvements after viewers are given a week to catch up — even if those bumps aren’t close to the gains that top primetime programs typically see.

CBS Television Distribution’s “Dr. Phil” gets the biggest household boost in the Live + 7 ratings (DVR playback for a week following a show’s initial telecast), adding 16% to its household total, and bringing the show to a 3.09 season-to-date (through Oct. 28), up from a 2.66 live household rating, according to Nielsen estimates.

In total viewers, a category that details the number of people watching within households, “Dr. Phil” is averaging 3.47 million per episode in the live ratings, but that jumps to 4.05 million viewers after a week of recording, a 17% increase. Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, “Phil” adds 27%, syndication’s biggest DVR gain, registering a 1.73 live-plus-seven rating from a 1.36.

NBCUniversal’s rookie success “Steve Harvey” is syndication’s third-most recorded show, adding 13% in households, 12% in viewers (1.82 million from 1.62 million) and 20% among women 25-54 (0.99 from 0.83).

CTD’s “Judge Judy,” which already pulls in big numbers in same-day viewing, also benefits from the DVR. “Judy” jumps 12% in households (to 6.88 from 6.14) and total viewers (9.42 million from 9.05 million), and 20% among women 25-54 (3.55 from 2.96).

Rounding out the top 10 firstrun strips with the most DVR playback are Warner Bros.’ “Anderson! Live” and Debmar-Mercury’s “Wendy Williams,” both of which gain 10% in households after a week of recording. Warner Bros.’ “People’s Court,” Sony’s “Dr. Oz,” CTD’s “Jeff Probst” and Entertainment Studios’ “We the People” all add 9% in households.